Problems with Burglar Alarms

Einbruch image by Angelika Bentin from

Burglar alarms are a good idea for homeowners who are concerned with their homes being invaded by a thief. At the very least, the burglar alarm will alert the homeowner to a home invasion so that he can take defensive measures.

Many burglar alarm systems send signals to the police station so that police can come by to help the homeowner. However, there are some potential problems that homeowners with burglar alarms should be aware of.


Home burglar alarms sometimes give the homeowner a sense of security that is not always there. Burglars are not always deterred by burglar alarms and might continue to rob the home. Some burglars will also repeatedly trigger the burglar alarm so that the homeowner becomes frustrated with the alarm and turns it off.

Response Time

The police are not always available to respond to a burglar alarm fast enough. Some alarm companies do not send police officers unless they can prove that there was a burglary.

False Alarm

Burglar alarms can sometimes be falsely tripped by pets or by residents in the home, causing the police to arrive unnecessarily. False alarms are also sometimes triggered when the wiring is faulty or when the batteries are dead. Many alarm systems can perform tests in order to determine if all parts of the burglar alarm are functioning properly so that the burglar alarm does not go off when there is no forced entry.


The burglar alarm siren can sometimes stop functioning, often because there is a problem with the power wire that supplies electricity to the siren.

Difficult to Repair

Burglar alarms can be very sophisticated and many kinds of burglar alarms can be very different. As a result, repairing a burglar alarm can be tricky for do it yourselfers, requiring that an expert come to repair or replace broken burglar alarms.